The challenge

Rape and sexual violence are extremely widespread in DR Congo. You can help women survivors of sexual violence rebuild their lives through medical and legal aid and support services.

 

Tragically, DR Congo ranks extremely low (174th out of 177 countries, below South Sudan and close to Afghanistan) on the list of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a woman. In 2021, 40,000 cases of gender based violence were reported; the figures doubled in 2022 and reached 80,000 reported cases. In the North Kivu province where 2.4 million people are displaced, especially the city of Goma which has been plunged into deep unrest for almost 20 years, populations live in a situation of chronic insecurity.

In Goma alone, more than 70 women per day seek medical help due to sexual and gender-based violence. Some of the women subjected to sexual violence are left to die, while others are forced to live with the devastating effects of the psychological and physical trauma that they have endured. Fistula, female genital prolapse, HIV/AIDS, mutilation, broken bones, and infection are some of the consequences of these brutal attacks on girls and women. Meanwhile, the perpetrators of these crimes often go unpunished – poverty combines with fear of retaliation, stigma and lack of awareness of their rights – prevent most women from taking legal action against their aggressors. 

The solutions we're proposing

W4’s field project, the Alpha Ujuvi Collective, assists girls and women in Goma in their recovery from physical and psychological trauma and helps them rebuild their lives by providing a comprehensive support program that includes vital medical care and legal aid. In addition to medical treatment, counseling and legal aid to help the women prosecute their attackers, the program includes educational services and vocational training in order to help the girls and women become self-sufficient and establish vital income-generating activities. 

The impact of giving

By bringing life-saving medical attention and legal assistance to survivors of sexual violence, you can offer these girls and women the renewed opportunity of a healthy, peaceful life. 

Help ensure that Congolese girls and women who have survived sexual violence do not have to live in pain and fear. Give them the opportunity to build bright, hopeful futures for themselves and their families!